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Source:Sambafoot.com siteKICK OFF
Kaka is one of the most languid, classy and effortless players in world football. Without being lazy, his style of play is so elegant that one can never gauge the hard yards which go into his play. He has sudden bursts of pace which can take defenses by surprise and along with a great range in passing, good dribbling skills, and a great long shot, no wonder he is considered one of the world’s best. Kaka once held the world record transfer fee, albeit for a few days, and was considered the talisman of the Brazilian football team in the last World Cup.

HIS-STORY
Kaka started his playing career for Sao Paulo where he started his youth career. He made his senior debut in 2001 and played for Sao Paulo till 2003. His performances for Sao Paulo were quickly gaining acclaim and he was part of the successful Brazilian team in 2002 though he featured for only 25 minutes. Things were only going to get better for him in 2003 as he was signed for 8.5 million Euros by AC Milan, an amount which in hindsight seems like a snip.

In the first season itself he established himself in the team and was the midfield creator behind Shevchenko, settling in nicely to life in Italy and helping the Rossoneri win the Scudetto. In his second season he reached new heights leading Milan to the finals of the Champions League which they unfortunately lost in a thrilling fashion to Liverpool. Kaka though set the tournament alight with his assists, including the beautifully threaded pass to Hernan Crespo to make the second goal. His quest for the ultimate trophy soon ended with a superlative performance in 2006-07 season where he annihilated the likes of Manchester United to take AC Milan to yet another final against Liverpool. This time there was not going to be any spectacular comeback from Liverpool with a comfortable victory for AC Milan. Later he went on to win the Club World Cup with Milan.

On the other hand Kaka was not at his best for

Brazil, with just a quarter final place to show for a team which was tipped as one of the favourites for having an attacking quintet to behold of Ronaldo, Robinho, Adriano, Kaka, and Ronaldinho. His fee though continued to rise and there were offers pouring in for him from other clubs with Manchester City bidding 100 million pounds for him. He rejected this offer as he wanted to end his career in Milan. Milan, however couldn’t resist the offers pouring in. They had faced the brunt of the financial meltdown and had to let go of one of their prized possessions. This situation ultimately led to his sale to Real Madrid for 60 million pounds. His stay with Real Madrid did not do justice to his potential. Though he notched up 32 goals and 32 assists in his four-year period with Madrid he couldn’t run the show as he did in Milan. Reasons for this drastic drop in form are that he got frequently injured and his languid style did not match the high intensity game of Real Madrid which needed more pace and work, thereby not being able to compete against Ozil and later Modric. His misery with Real Madrid ended when he joined AC Milan this season on a transfer. Initial displays for the Rossoneri suggest that he has recaptured his form and rolled back the years in a familiar atmosphere and formation where there is enough protection for him to re-create his magic. One can also sense an added motivation in his play these days.

SCORECARD
Kaka has amassed many honours such as the Scudetto and the UEFA Champions League along with the FIFA Club World Cup and La Liga. He has also won the FIFA Confederations Cup twice and has been the FIFA World Player of the year in 2007.

OFFSIDE
The blip in his career has been the tumultuous 4 years in Madrid. Though he was always professional on the field and never sulked at being dropped, his loss of form meant that he was frequently benched.

EXTRA TIME
He is a devout Roman Catholic. He married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico in 2005 and is the proud father of a son and a daughter.
He is also the first sports person to get 10 million followers on Twitter.

TIEBREAKER
His return to form should augur well with Brazil as he can be a great bonus on the bench. With the dip in form of prospects like Ganso and the relative inexperience of Bernard, Kaka should make a good case to make the squad for the 2014 World Cup.